Phagophilia and Other Insurrections

hack.it.art: Hacktivism in the Context of Art and Media in Italy, at the Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethenien in Berlin through February 27, highlights a number of hacker communities active throughout Italy since the 1980s. Launched by a pansexual celebration called 'Phag Off,' which aimed joyously to sound the death knells of all extant sexual identities, the exhibition will also present panels and workshops on a range of topics, including 'hacking the body' and the possible futures of hacktivism. hack.it.art forcefully posits Italy as a case in point. networks disseminating internet art and counter-hegemonic memoranda in sync have thrived under President Silvio Berlusconi, whose thinly veiled media monopoly has rendered broadcast dissent even more (or more obviously) challenging than in many other nations. The effect of these sprawling and feverish collaborations on display, rather than simply overwhelming, is heartening. - Ramsey McGlazer